Although only two of us visited the View, we could appreciate just how ideal this villa would be for group holidays and special celebrations – it really is designed for entertaining. Villa manager, Khun Opal, and her assistant, Khun Nokkie, as well as several other unobtrusive staff, keep the villa immaculate and cater to guests’ every whim, including arranging parties.
We arrived late afternoon and were welcomed with refreshing homemade lemonade. We didn’t have to wait long to witness Taling Ngam’s famous sunset – with Khun Opal’s signature cocktails as the cherry on the top. We gave the chef carte blanche at dinnertime, our only requirement being that the meal was vegetarian. He served a vegetarian Thai green curry with steamed rice, sesame seeds and pumpkin, and deep-fried tofu with a tamarind sauce. Both dishes were beautifully presented and delicious, with just the right amount of spice.
As Tech-junkies, we enjoyed this Mac-happy villa. Not only is there an iMac computer for guest use, but this also controls the entertainment centre, from the music that’s piped throughout the villa and garden, to the Apple TV with over 700 movies and the iPod with over 4,000 songs to select. We could sync our own iPads, and MacBooks with the system too. It was such a tough choice whether to watch a movie on the indoor living room projector, the outside lounge projector, or even on the lawn near the beach, that we gave up and decided to take advantage of the blissful peace and quiet and catch up on some reading instead!
We woke to cheerful birdsong and, with the touch of a bedside button, remote-controlled blinds let in the morning light and the endless sea views. Energised on return from our early morning walk along the villa’s virtually private beach, the smell of freshly baked croissants and coffee lured us to the dining room where we enjoyed a breakfast accompanied by views of the Five Islands.
We only wish we’d had more time to take full advantage of the View’s amazing facilities: kayaking around the bay, a friendly game of croquet on the lawn, an invigorating muay Thai lesson with a personal trainer, or a cooking lesson with the chef. We could only imagine how much a child would enjoy exploring this villa –especially with its dedicated children’s wing – although we did discover that with the automated blinds down at night and the reading spotlight on, you’ve got the perfect backdrop for a shadow puppet show!